When Texas native Deun Ivory won a grant from VSCO in 2018, it offered her a runway into a whole world of good. The interview and portrait project she began transformed into a 501c3 organization—now The Body: A Home for Love—through which she encourages Black women heal from trauma through joy. "I believe that everything is working out in my favor," says Ivory. "And having that in the back of my mind allows me to navigate the world with so much confidence and boldness and assuredness, and I'm able to give other people permission to navigate the same way."

Featured here is 21-year-old model and Indigenous rights activist, Haatepah Clearbear, who advocates for the protection of our earth and of Native identity. “It’s 2020,” says Clearbear, “The time to reclaim who you are and to be proud is now.”

We believe all skin is normal.You’ve probably seen this on our Instagram account, read it in an email from us, or talked about it with us in person. Having “normal” skin is an important topic of conversation in skincare, and there hasn’t really been a standard for what that means in the industry.

Lou Oates is the head chef at Little Pine, a plant-based restaurant in the Silver Lake neighborhood of Los Angeles. Little Pine is owned by Moby, an electronica icon and a staunch animal rights activist who has been vegan for over 30 years. His dedication is such that he has pledged 100% of his restaurant’s profits to animal rights organizations/ Like Moby, she also has roots in the music industry and still finds ways to meld her diverse interests: plants, wellness, music, and community.

With chapters and clubs all over the world, for 34 years the Surfrider Foundation has had a global impact for good. Without a healthy planet, there can be no people. The environmental non-profit works to ensure clean water, healthy oceans and coastlines, and accessible beaches for all those who love water and surf. In 2019, Surfrider Foundation helped Youth To The People organize our first west coast beach cleanup, where our team cleared tens of pounds of single-use plastic, cigarette butts, and waste from Venice Beach. At Youth To The People, we believe that utilizing glass bottles is only part of the equation— alone, it isn’t enough. Moving away from a throwaway culture, working hard at cleaning up what’s already been discarded, carefully considering the choices that move us closer to being a zero-waste company, and not being afraid to work up a sweat are all part of our long term strategy.

The earth is in a tough spot. Like many of you, we’re disappointed. Disappointed that the United States pulled out of the Paris Climate Accord. Disappointed that generations worth of convenience led to a total disregard for the planet. We’re disappointed on behalf of ourselves and the next generations to come because it might seem like nothing is enough to reverse the damage. Like you, we’re disappointed that more isn’t being done.